Baseball game



W. G. FLETCHER BASEBALL GAME March 15 1949.

Filed July 1, 1947 V gin/H? ///////////////fl7/ r///// 1 N VEN TOR.

- M t%izz22 @l/cer A TTURNEY Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE BASEBALL GAME William G. Fletcher, Bogota, N. J.

Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,386

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a baseball game adapted for use as an indoorsport.

I have found from my study of the prior art baseball games that they aremore or less compli cated and, therefore, expensive so that manyfamilies with a number of children cannot afford to buy them.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide abaseball game that is interesting, and one that can be made cheaply, andhence sold at a reasonable price.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a baseball game wherein theball may be delivered toward the home plate at numerous angles, evenwith a round pitching arm.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ball game in which thepitching arm may be operated from either side of the game board so as toaccommodate right or left handed people.

These and other objects will appear from the following specificationtaken in connection with the annexed drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game board.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the drawing the game board has a field plate I with sides 2 and 3 andends 4 and 5. The ends and sides being held together in any satisfactory manner as by screws, while field plate I is positioned inchannels in the side members 2 and 3, as indicated by the broken lines 6and I. The field plate I has a diamond D marked thereon with home plateH and with first base B1, second base B2, and third base B3. The plate Ialso has a pitching slot or opening 8 therein to accommodate an arm 9fastened to an operating rod I which extends transversely across theboard and having its ends projected through the side members 2 and 3 soas to be engaged by an operator for turning the arm 9, which when in thefull delivery position has its free end slightly below the surface ofthe plate I so as not to interfere with the ball II shown as being sentaway from the bat I2. By transversely, is meant at right angles to astraight line through second base, the central axis of the pitching slotand the home plate. The bat I2 is pivoted on a stud I3 attached to theplate I. A spring M has one end fastened to the stud l3 and its oppositeend in engagement with a staple I5. Spring I4 acts to return the batafter it has been operated by placing the thumb against the hand portionI6 and moved so as to carry the bat end I'I of the bat backward intostriking position. A notch I8 is cut in the side member 2 for a fingerof the hand of an operator whose thumb is placed 2 against the end I5 ofthe bat I2, the side 2 being cut away at I9 to provide room for movementof the thumb while engagement with the hand portion It of the bat I2.Preferably the side 2 has a bumper 20 to receive the end ll of the bat,if a blow has been struck hard enough to carry the bat end over to theside 2.

The end 5 is provided with a series of holes in which pins may beinserted to keep track of balls, strikes and outs, together withvisitors runs and runs for the home team.

Adjacent the end 5 and fastened to side pieces 2 and 3 is an arcuatelyformed stop member 2I, preferably in the form of wire, the ends of whichare bent downwardly and forced into holes in the sides 2 and 3. Thiswire acts as a deflecting bar to stop the ball I I and cause it to dropdownward onto a shelf 22 fastened as by screws to the end 5. The shelf22 may be held in channels in the side pieces 2 and 3 in the same manneras the plate I is held therein. The shelf 22 has holes or depressions 23arcuately positioned therein, and in alignment with these holes ordepressions are designations marked on the plate I to identify the typeof hit that has been made by the batter.

It will be noted that the slot or orifice 8 is wider toward the end atsecond base B2 than at the end toward the home plate. In other words theorifice 8 has tapering sides so that when the end of I0 is to beoperated on it may be moved to the right or left to carry the arm 9 offthe center line. Then when the rod I0 is turned the arm 9, which isbehind the ball toward second base will follow the tapering sides to theapex thereby hitting and following up the ball on a continuously varyingangle, causing it to curve either in or out as it approaches the homeplate. The speed of the ball, of course, can be varied by the amount oftwisting force applied to the rod l0.

Likewise, the batter can regulate his stroke by the amount which hemoves the batting end H of the bat 62 against the tension of the springI4.

Preferably the game board is provided with bumpers 24 of soft rubber sothat the board may be placed on a bare table top without marring it. Itwill be understood that many of the details of construction may bevaried without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scopeof the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A baseball game including a playing board having a ball diamond withthe usual home plate, and first, second, and third bases laid outthereon in the usual manner, a pitching slot of varying width in theboard between second base and the home plate to receive a ball having adiameter greater than any width of the slot, the slot being in alignmentwith the second base and home plate and having its widest end nearestsecond base, a hand operating rod passing transversely, as definedherein, across the under side of the board and supported thereby so itmay be rotated and/or shifted longitudinally of its axis and extendingbeyond at least one. edge of the board so as to be gripped by the handof an operator, an arm fastened to said rod and normally protrudingupwardly through said slot at its widest end toward second base so as tobe behind" and hit the ball at different places on its surface todetermine the path of movement of the ball when the rod is transverselypositioned and rotated by an operator.

2. A baseball game including a playing board having a ball diamondlwiththe usual home plate and first, second, and third bases laid out thereonin the usual manner, a pitching slot in the board between second baseand the home. plate to receive a ball having a diameter: greater thanthe width of the slot, the slot beingv wider at. the end nearest secondbase and. tapering towardthe'home plate, a hand operated rod passingtransversely as defined herein across the under side of the board andsupportedthereby so it may be rotated and/or shifted longitudinally ofits axis and extending beyond at least one edge of the board so as to begripped by the hand of an operator, an arm fastened to said rod andnormally protruding upwardly through said slot, at its widest end towardsecond base so as to be behind and hit the ball at the Widest part ofthe slot and finish its contact with the ball at the narrow part of theslot thereby determining the path of movement of the ball when the rodis transversely positioned and rotated by an operator.

3, A baseball game as defined in claim 1 further characterized in thatthe length of the rod arm and slot are such that when the end of the rodreaches the end of the slot nearest the home plate it will notinterefere with the ball if the same is batted directly at said slot endnearest the home plate.

WILLIAM G. FLETCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,094,559 Harrison Apr. 28, 19141,157,913 Twibell w Oct. 26, 1915 1,586,315 Luckenbill May 25, 19261,808,802 Weinberg; June 9, 1931 2,246,115 Volz June 17, 1941 2,382,329Munro Aug. 14, 1945

